REVIEWS

We originally reserved a different venue through the Parks and Rec, Golden Gardens Bath House, and were allowed to switch our venue and deposit to Dakota, easy breezy. It was the perfect venue for us... Our rental money went to something we believe in, taking care of our parks, and it was simple small and lovely. The small Notting Hill style neighborhood park behind the building was perfect for our afternoon outdoor wedding, and just enough space for us, it was LOVELY. Our park staff member, Melinda, was just great... She actually talked me into taking a second look at Dakota when I went to see her show the bath house down on Alki. I was worried about parking and bathrooms, Dakota hit both exceptionally, everything is just so NICE there. I was thrilled Melinda ended up being our staff member for our day, she was just like having another friend there during setup! Dakota is an old electric substation that's been completely refurbished as a small event venue. It's all brick and hardwoods and classic. We did penants from the rafters, old glass electric insulators that covered electric candles, and vintage runners with wildflowers and they fit the building like they were made to go together. Our wedding seated 96 (we did bring in extra tables and chairs) and everyone fit perfectly, it was EXACTLY the cozy backyard bbq we envisioned. The staff was helpful, the value was exceptional, the flexibility was greatly appreciated, and I'll stop by our little park to check on it now and again and remember our awesome time there. It was perfect.

We originally reserved a different venue through the Parks and Rec, Golden Gardens Bath House, and were allowed to switch Read more...

We originally reserved a different venue through the Parks and Rec, Golden Gardens Bath House, and were allowed to switch our venue and deposit to Dakota, easy breezy. It was the perfect venue for us... Our rental money went to something we believe in, taking care of our parks, and it was simple small and lovely. The small Notting Hill style neighborhood park behind the building was perfect for our afternoon outdoor wedding, and just enough space for us, it was LOVELY. Our park staff member, Melinda, was just great... She actually talked me into taking a second look at Dakota when I went to see her show the bath house down on Alki. I was worried about parking and bathrooms, Dakota hit both exceptionally, everything is just so NICE there. I was thrilled Melinda ended up being our staff member for our day, she was just like having another friend there during setup! Dakota is an old electric substation that's been completely refurbished as a small event venue. It's all brick and hardwoods and classic. We did penants from the rafters, old glass electric insulators that covered electric candles, and vintage runners with wildflowers and they fit the building like they were made to go together. Our wedding seated 96 (we did bring in extra tables and chairs) and everyone fit perfectly, it was EXACTLY the cozy backyard bbq we envisioned. The staff was helpful, the value was exceptional, the flexibility was greatly appreciated, and I'll stop by our little park to check on it now and again and remember our awesome time there. It was perfect. Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

Catherine

Wedding:

6/9/2012

3.1/5.0

I had both my reception and ceremony and Golden Gardens. It can't not be beautiful when the park is so gorgeous. So I had no problems with the location at all. My only problem was with the staff for both the GG meadow and bathhouse. Although they were completely responsive to all my emails up to the wedding. I found them inconsistent in what they told me and it was like pulling teeth to get alternative options from them which I needed since they are not very flexible.

Furthermore, there are some important details to know about the GG Meadow. The ceremony permit only allows you to get married outside in the park, it doesn't mean that people will not be flying kites in the meadow while your ceremony is going on. I did not realize that. I saw in all my readings that the park remains open, which I thought was obvious, but I did think that we were renting the meadow. Also, the ceremony staff are ridiculous. They email you a ceremony permit that you have to post on site as early as possible, but cannot tape or staple to a tree nor can you post into the ground. This is a perfect example of how they give you limited options but don't suggest ANYTHING unless you ask.

The bathhouse was great for a reception site. It's smaller than you'd think. Their brochure says it fits 175 seated, but we had 64 seated (that's 8 round tables) and it was perfect. I'm not sure how 175 would work for seating. GG bathhouse provides chairs and tables, but you cannot take any of that outside for the ceremony if that's your plan. You have to rent everything. If you do any decorating inside, be prepared to bring your own ladders and make sure you have a crew that will help with decorating.

Things went smoothly for me in the bathhouse because my family and friends helped decorate, but the bathhouse does not provide anything. Golden Gardens and the Bathhouse is still is a lovely place, and I'm gad I got married there. I was just frustrated at times. I wouldn't recommend the meadow to a friend. If I could redo it, I might have considered having my ceremony elsewhere or even inside the bathhouse. The main reason is because Seattle Parks does not allow amplified noise outdoors, so we could not be mic'd and unfortunately a train passed by in the middle of our ceremony. Plus, there were quite a few people on the meadow during our ceremony. I would recommend the bathhouse for the reception, despite everything. But you DEFINITELY need to have a coordinator or a good crew to help set up.

I had both my reception and ceremony and Golden Gardens. It can't not be beautiful when the park is so gorgeous. So I had Read more...

I had both my reception and ceremony and Golden Gardens. It can't not be beautiful when the park is so gorgeous. So I had no problems with the location at all. My only problem was with the staff for both the GG meadow and bathhouse. Although they were completely responsive to all my emails up to the wedding. I found them inconsistent in what they told me and it was like pulling teeth to get alternative options from them which I needed since they are not very flexible.

Furthermore, there are some important details to know about the GG Meadow. The ceremony permit only allows you to get married outside in the park, it doesn't mean that people will not be flying kites in the meadow while your ceremony is going on. I did not realize that. I saw in all my readings that the park remains open, which I thought was obvious, but I did think that we were renting the meadow. Also, the ceremony staff are ridiculous. They email you a ceremony permit that you have to post on site as early as possible, but cannot tape or staple to a tree nor can you post into the ground. This is a perfect example of how they give you limited options but don't suggest ANYTHING unless you ask.

The bathhouse was great for a reception site. It's smaller than you'd think. Their brochure says it fits 175 seated, but we had 64 seated (that's 8 round tables) and it was perfect. I'm not sure how 175 would work for seating. GG bathhouse provides chairs and tables, but you cannot take any of that outside for the ceremony if that's your plan. You have to rent everything. If you do any decorating inside, be prepared to bring your own ladders and make sure you have a crew that will help with decorating.

Things went smoothly for me in the bathhouse because my family and friends helped decorate, but the bathhouse does not provide anything. Golden Gardens and the Bathhouse is still is a lovely place, and I'm gad I got married there. I was just frustrated at times. I wouldn't recommend the meadow to a friend. If I could redo it, I might have considered having my ceremony elsewhere or even inside the bathhouse. The main reason is because Seattle Parks does not allow amplified noise outdoors, so we could not be mic'd and unfortunately a train passed by in the middle of our ceremony. Plus, there were quite a few people on the meadow during our ceremony. I would recommend the bathhouse for the reception, despite everything. But you DEFINITELY need to have a coordinator or a good crew to help set up. Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

KQuillin

Wedding:

8/13/2011

4.1/5.0

We had our wedding at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse and the venue was great, the staff were very helpful, however there wasn't a lot of flexibility in what we could do, probably thanks to govt red tape.

We had our wedding at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse and the venue was great, the staff were very helpful, however there Read more...

We had our wedding at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse and the venue was great, the staff were very helpful, however there wasn't a lot of flexibility in what we could do, probably thanks to govt red tape. Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

Ilene

Wedding:

6/26/2011

4.6/5.0

We held our ceremony at this beautiful 'secret garden' park on top of Queen Anne. It was like a fairytale. We couldn't have asked for anything more perfect than this park for our special day.

We held our ceremony at this beautiful 'secret garden' park on top of Queen Anne. It was like a fairytale. We couldn't Read more...

We held our ceremony at this beautiful 'secret garden' park on top of Queen Anne. It was like a fairytale. We couldn't have asked for anything more perfect than this park for our special day. Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

mjackins

Wedding:

4/8/2011

3.9/5.0

We had our wedding at the Bathhouse at Golden Gardens and it was just lovely. We were able to come in ahead of time to measure and take pictures during the planning process, the staff were very responsive to our emails about permits, etc. It is pretty bare bones, so we had to rent or provide everything except tables and chairs, but if you're into DIY, that's not a downside. My only complaint was that we couldn't rent it beyond 11pm and I would have liked the reception to go on longer...

We had our wedding at the Bathhouse at Golden Gardens and it was just lovely. We were able to come in ahead of time to Read more...

We had our wedding at the Bathhouse at Golden Gardens and it was just lovely. We were able to come in ahead of time to measure and take pictures during the planning process, the staff were very responsive to our emails about permits, etc. It is pretty bare bones, so we had to rent or provide everything except tables and chairs, but if you're into DIY, that's not a downside. My only complaint was that we couldn't rent it beyond 11pm and I would have liked the reception to go on longer... Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

Lindsay

Wedding:

12/12/2010

5.0/5.0

Using Seattle Parks and Rec for my AHR! They've been great to work with and well priced for an awesome party

Using Seattle Parks and Rec for my AHR! They've been great to work with and well priced for an awesome party

Using Seattle Parks and Rec for my AHR! They've been great to work with and well priced for an awesome party Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue, Unique Services

Heather

Wedding:

9/18/2010

4.3/5.0

We loved the view from "Kite Hill" in Magnuson Park. It was a little confusing as to how to make sure we could have that spot on the day we wanted it, but I figured it out pretty quickly and we were able to get all the paperwork in. The one draw back about having a ceremony at a public park is that there is no guarantee that the public will not be in your space. Fortunately the public was respectful of our space. :) It was a little more expensive that I would have liked, but the view from the hill was priceless on our big day and we wouldn't have wanted to have it anywhere else.

We loved the view from "Kite Hill" in Magnuson Park. It was a little confusing as to how to make sure we could have that Read more...

We loved the view from "Kite Hill" in Magnuson Park. It was a little confusing as to how to make sure we could have that spot on the day we wanted it, but I figured it out pretty quickly and we were able to get all the paperwork in. The one draw back about having a ceremony at a public park is that there is no guarantee that the public will not be in your space. Fortunately the public was respectful of our space. :) It was a little more expensive that I would have liked, but the view from the hill was priceless on our big day and we wouldn't have wanted to have it anywhere else. Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

KPJReeb

Wedding:

8/14/2010

3.7/5.0

Great location, staff is responsive and easy to work with, but not very flexible. I felt the cost was high for what we got.

Great location, staff is responsive and easy to work with, but not very flexible. I felt the cost was high for what we Read more...

Great location, staff is responsive and easy to work with, but not very flexible. I felt the cost was high for what we got. Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

AmandaS

Wedding:

7/11/2009

4.4/5.0

We used Gasworks Parks for our ceremony, some photos, and a BBQ the night before the wedding. The folks at the City were responsive in answering our questions and making reservations as easy as possible. They have well-prepared materials that cover most areas of concern, so things tend to run smoothly.

The signs they provide were effective as no one bothered us during any of our events. Great experience.

Only drawback was the cost of reserving space for the ceremony, paying the photography permit, and reserving picnic space. For what we paid, we could have had our ceremony at a private venue...but we wouldn't have gotten the $1,000,000 view!

We used Gasworks Parks for our ceremony, some photos, and a BBQ the night before the wedding. The folks at the City were Read more...

We used Gasworks Parks for our ceremony, some photos, and a BBQ the night before the wedding. The folks at the City were responsive in answering our questions and making reservations as easy as possible. They have well-prepared materials that cover most areas of concern, so things tend to run smoothly.

The signs they provide were effective as no one bothered us during any of our events. Great experience.

Only drawback was the cost of reserving space for the ceremony, paying the photography permit, and reserving picnic space. For what we paid, we could have had our ceremony at a private venue...but we wouldn't have gotten the $1,000,000 view! Read less

Services Used: Wedding Venue

Ristretto

Wedding:

8/30/2008

5.0/5.0

We had our ceremony at Gasworks Park and the entire experience was unfortgettable. We booked at the earliest possible time (right after the new year) to insure we had the venue on the weekend we wanted. The people at the reservation office were always very helpful and prompt to return our messages (when they were too busy to pick up our call). Very professional and very friendly. They new every corner of their park and provided valuable suggestions and recommendations. The day and venue were absolutely fantastic!

We had our ceremony at Gasworks Park and the entire experience was unfortgettable. We booked at the earliest possible time Read more...

We had our ceremony at Gasworks Park and the entire experience was unfortgettable. We booked at the earliest possible time (right after the new year) to insure we had the venue on the weekend we wanted. The people at the reservation office were always very helpful and prompt to return our messages (when they were too busy to pick up our call). Very professional and very friendly. They new every corner of their park and provided valuable suggestions and recommendations. The day and venue were absolutely fantastic! Read less